U.S. patent application number 15/151536 was filed with the patent office on 2017-11-16 for sulfite preconditioning systems and methods to reduce mercury concentrations in waste water.
The applicant listed for this patent is General Electric Company. Invention is credited to Trevor James Dale, Raymond Raulfs Gansley.
Application Number | 20170326498 15/151536 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 58995235 |
Filed Date | 2017-11-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170326498 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Gansley; Raymond Raulfs ; et
al. |
November 16, 2017 |
Sulfite Preconditioning Systems And Methods To Reduce Mercury
Concentrations In Waste Water
Abstract
The present application provides a waste water preconditioning
system for limiting mercury concentrations in a waste water stream
resulting from treatment of a flue gas. The waste water
preconditioning system may include a wet flue gas desulfurization
system for treating the flue gas with an aqueous alkaline slurry, a
sulfite detector to determine the concentration of sulfite in the
aqueous alkaline slurry, and to produce the waste water stream with
a mercury concentration of less than about five micrograms per
liter. The waste water preconditioning system also may include a
waste water treatment system downstream of the wet flue gas
desulfurization system.
Inventors: |
Gansley; Raymond Raulfs;
(Knoxville, TN) ; Dale; Trevor James; (Metuchen,
NJ) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
General Electric Company |
Schenectady |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
58995235 |
Appl. No.: |
15/151536 |
Filed: |
May 11, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B01D 53/73 20130101;
C02F 2209/04 20130101; C02F 3/34 20130101; C02F 2209/38 20130101;
B01D 53/504 20130101; C02F 1/52 20130101; C02F 1/56 20130101; C02F
2101/106 20130101; B01D 2247/04 20130101; C02F 2103/18 20130101;
C02F 1/74 20130101; C02F 3/2826 20130101; C02F 3/305 20130101; C02F
2101/101 20130101; B01D 2257/302 20130101; B01D 2258/0283 20130101;
B01D 53/80 20130101; C02F 1/66 20130101; B01D 2251/404 20130101;
B01D 53/64 20130101; C02F 2001/007 20130101; C02F 2209/00 20130101;
C02F 1/004 20130101; C02F 1/5236 20130101; C02F 1/008 20130101;
B01D 53/346 20130101; B01D 53/501 20130101; B01D 2251/11 20130101;
B01D 2257/602 20130101; C02F 1/5245 20130101; C02F 2101/20
20130101 |
International
Class: |
B01D 53/73 20060101
B01D053/73; B01D 53/64 20060101 B01D053/64; B01D 53/80 20060101
B01D053/80; C02F 1/00 20060101 C02F001/00; C02F 1/52 20060101
C02F001/52; C02F 1/74 20060101 C02F001/74; C02F 1/00 20060101
C02F001/00; B01D 53/50 20060101 B01D053/50 |
Claims
1. A waste water preconditioning system for limiting mercury
concentrations in a waste water stream resulting from treatment of
a flue gas, comprising: a wet flue gas desulfurization system for
treating the flue gas with an aqueous alkaline slurry; the wet flue
gas desulfurization system comprising a sulfite detector to
determine the concentration of sulfite in the aqueous alkaline
slurry; the wet flue gas desulfurization system producing the waste
water stream with a mercury concentration of less than about five
micrograms per liter; and a waste water treatment system downstream
of the wet flue gas desulfurization system.
2. The waste water preconditioning system of claim 1, wherein the
wet flue gas desulfurization system comprises a collecting tank
with the aqueous alkaline slurry therein.
3. The waste water preconditioning system of claim 2, wherein the
sulfite detector comprises a sulfite sensor to determine the
concentration of sulfite in the collecting tank.
4. The waste water preconditioning system of claim 2, further
comprising an oxidation air source in communication with the
aqueous alkaline slurry in the collecting tank.
5. The waste water preconditioning system of claim 4, wherein the
oxidation air source is in communication with the aqueous alkaline
slurry in the collecting tank via a valve and/or a blower.
6. The waste water preconditioning system of claim 5, wherein a
signal from the sulfite detector controls the valve and/or the
blower based upon the concentration of sulfite in the aqueous
alkaline slurry in the collecting tank.
7. The waste water preconditioning system of claim 2, wherein the
wet flue gas desulfurization system comprises a mercury measurement
device in communication with the aqueous alkaline slurry in the
collecting tank.
8. The waste water preconditioning system of claim 1, wherein the
wet flue gas desulfurization system producing the waste water
stream with a mercury concentration of less than about one
microgram per liter.
9. The waste water preconditioning system of claim 1, wherein the
waste water treatment system comprises one or more clarifiers,
filters, or other solid-liquid separation devices.
10. The waste water preconditioning system of claim 1, wherein the
waste water treatment system comprises one or more mixing tanks
with a metal precipitant added therein.
11. A method of reducing mercury concentrations in a waste water
stream resulting from treatment of a flue gas, comprising: treating
the flue gas with an aqueous alkaline slurry; maintaining a
predetermined concentration of sulfite in the aqueous alkaline
slurry; creating the waste water stream from the aqueous alkaline
slurry; limiting a dissolved mercury concentration in the waste
water stream while increasing a solid mercury concentration in the
waste water stream; and forwarding the waste water stream to a
waste water treatment system.
12. The method of reducing mercury concentrations of claim 11,
wherein the step of maintaining a predetermined concentration of
sulfite in the aqueous alkaline slurry comprises comparing a
measured concentration of sulfite in the aqueous alkaline slurry
with the predetermined concentration of sulfite in the aqueous
alkaline slurry.
13. The method of reducing mercury concentrations of claim 11,
wherein the step of maintaining a predetermined concentration of
sulfite in the aqueous alkaline slurry comprising varying a flow of
oxidizing air to the aqueous alkaline slurry.
14. The method of reducing mercury concentrations of claim 11,
further comprising the step of removing the solid mercury from the
waste water stream in one or more clarifiers, filters, or other
solid-liquid separation devices in the waste water treatment
system.
15. The method of reducing mercury concentrations of claim 11,
wherein the step of treating the flue gas with an aqueous alkaline
slurry comprises treating the flue gas in a wet flue gas
desulfurization system.
16. A method of reducing mercury concentrations in a waste water
stream resulting from treatment of a flue gas, comprising: treating
the flue gas with an aqueous alkaline slurry in a wet flue gas
desulfurization system; creating the waste water stream from the
aqueous alkaline slurry; preconditioning the waste water stream to
limit a dissolved mercury concentration to less than about five
micrograms per liter; and forwarding the waste water stream to a
waste water treatment system.
17. The method of reducing mercury concentrations in a waste water
stream of claim 16, wherein the step of preconditioning the waste
water stream comprises maintaining a predetermined concentration of
sulfite in the aqueous alkaline slurry.
18. The method of reducing mercury concentrations of claim 17,
wherein the step of maintaining a predetermined concentration of
sulfite in the aqueous alkaline slurry comprises comparing a
measured concentration of sulfite in the aqueous alkaline slurry
with the predetermined concentration of sulfite in the aqueous
alkaline slurry.
19. The method of reducing mercury concentrations of claim 17,
wherein the step of maintaining a predetermined concentration of
sulfite in the aqueous alkaline slurry comprising varying a flow of
oxidizing air to the aqueous alkaline slurry.
20. The method of reducing mercury concentrations of claim 16,
wherein the step of preconditioning the waste water stream
comprises limiting a dissolved mercury concentration in the waste
water stream while increasing a solid mercury concentration in the
waste water stream.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present application and the resultant patent relate
generally to systems and methods for reducing dissolved mercury in
waste water through the control of sulfite concentrations within a
wet flue gas desulfurization system. Removing or limiting the
levels of dissolved mercury may provide for an improved waste water
treatment system downstream thereof.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Combustion of fuel sources such as coal produces a waste
gas, referred to as a "flue gas" that is to be emitted into an
environment, such as the atmosphere. The fuel sources typically
contain sulfur and sulfur compounds that are converted in the
combustion process to gaseous species, including sulfur oxides, in
the resulting flue gas. The fuel sources typically also contain
elemental mercury or mercury compounds that are converted in the
combustion process and exist in the flue gas as gaseous elemental
mercury or gaseous ionic mercury species.
[0003] As such, the flue gas contains particles, noxious
substances, and other impurities considered to be environmental
contaminants. Prior to emission into the atmosphere via a smoke
stack, the flue gas undergoes a cleansing or purification process.
In coal combustion, one aspect of this purification process is
normally a desulfurization system, such as a wet scrubbing
operation commonly known as a wet flue gas desulfurization
system.
[0004] Sulfur oxides are removed from the flue gas using the wet
flue gas desulfurization system by introducing an aqueous alkaline
slurry to a scrubber tower. The aqueous alkaline slurry typically
includes a basic material that will interact with contaminants to
remove them from the flue gas. Examples of basic materials that are
useful in the aqueous alkaline slurry include lime, limestone,
magnesium salts, sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate, ammonia,
combinations thereof and the like.
[0005] There has been an increased focus in the treatment of flue
gas on the removal of mercury. Presently, there are various methods
for removing mercury from the flue gas. These methods include the
addition of oxidizing agents in a boiler upstream of the flue gas
emission control system and then removing the oxidized mercury with
scrubbers, the addition of absorbents or chemicals to bind the
mercury and removing the same from the flue gas, and the
utilization of particular coals or fuels to minimize the amount of
mercury released when the coal or fuel is burned.
[0006] A number of generally known methods of mercury removal are
effective to produce mercury salts, which can be dissolved and
removed by the aqueous alkaline slurry used in the wet scrubbing
operation. Some of these methods include the addition of halogen or
halogen compounds, such as bromine, to the coal or to the flue gas
upstream of the wet scrubbing operation to provide oxidation of
elemental mercury to ionic mercury and formation of mercury salts,
which are then dissolved in the aqueous alkaline slurry incident to
the sulfur oxide removal processes. However, the removal of mercury
in the aqueous alkaline slurry of a wet scrubber has proven to be
difficult to control in some cases as the dissolved oxidized
mercury can be reduced in the slurry and volatilized as elemental
mercury. The desired emission guarantee levels are often as low as
about 0.3 .mu.g/Nm.sup.3 of mercury, which corresponds to a very
high mercury removal efficiency in the wet scrubber.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present application and the resultant patent thus
provide a waste water preconditioning system for limiting mercury
concentrations in a waste water stream resulting from treatment of
a flue gas. The waste water preconditioning system may include a
wet flue gas desulfurization system for treating the flue gas with
an aqueous alkaline slurry, a sulfite detector to determine the
concentration of sulfite in the aqueous alkaline slurry, and to
produce the waste water stream with a mercury concentration of less
than about five micrograms per liter. The waste water
preconditioning system also may include a waste water treatment
system downstream of the wet flue gas desulfurization system.
[0008] The present application and the resultant patent further
provide a method of reducing mercury concentrations in a waste
water stream resulting from the treatment of a flue gas. The method
may include the steps of treating the flue gas with an aqueous
alkaline slurry, maintaining a predetermined concentration of
sulfite in the aqueous alkaline slurry, creating the waste water
stream from the aqueous alkaline slurry, limiting a dissolved
mercury concentration in the waste water stream while increasing a
solid mercury concentration in the waste water stream, and
forwarding the waste water stream to a waste water treatment
system.
[0009] The present application and the resultant patent further may
provide a method of reducing mercury concentrations in a waste
water stream resulting from the treatment of a flue gas. The method
may include the steps of treating the flue gas with an aqueous
alkaline slurry in a wet flue gas desulfurization system, creating
the waste water stream from the aqueous alkaline slurry,
preconditioning the waste water stream to limit a dissolved mercury
concentration to less than about five micrograms per liter, and
forwarding the waste water stream to a waste water treatment
system.
[0010] These and other features and improvements of the present
application and the resultant patent will become apparent to one of
ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following detailed
description when taken in conjunction with the several drawings and
the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a waste water
preconditioning system as may be described herein with a wet flue
gas desulfurization system and a waste water treatment system.
[0012] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the wet flue gas
desulfurization system of FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0013] Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals refer
to like elements throughout the several views, FIG. 1 shows a
schematic diagram of an example waste water preconditioning system
100. The waste water preconditioning system 100 may include a waste
water treatment system (WWTS) 105. The WWTS 105 may be positioned
downstream of a boiler 110 producing a flue gas 120 and a wet flue
gas desulfurization system (WFGD) 130. The WFGD 130 may produce a
flow of waste water 140 that should be processed before further
use. Other components and other configurations may be used
herein.
[0014] Generally described, the WWTS 105 may include a desaturator
150. The desaturator 150 treats the waste water 140 with a flow of
lime 160 and the like so as to reduce the tendency of the waste
water 140 to scale. The desaturator 150 reduces the concentration
of sulfate therein by precipitation of calcium sulfate and the
like. The WWTS 105 may include a primary clarifier 170 downstream
of the desaturator 150. The primary clarifier 170 may remove
suspended solids, including mercury, in the waste water 140. The
primary clarifier 170 may add solidifiers 180 such as flocculants
and other types of polymers to aid in the removal of solids and the
like.
[0015] The WWTS 105 may include one or more mix tanks 190
downstream of the primary clarifier 170. The mix tanks 190 may mix
pH adjusters 200, coagulators 210, metal precipitants 220, and
other additives with the waste water 140. Specifically, certain
types of metal precipitants 220 may be effective in reducing the
levels of dissolved mercury in the waste water 140. An example of a
metal precipitant 220 that may be used herein includes the
MetClear.RTM. metal precipitant offered by General Electric Company
of Schenectady, N.Y. Other types of precipitants and other types of
additives also may be used herein. The WWTS 105 also may include a
further clarifier 230 and a number of filters 240. The further
clarifier 230 largely functions in the same manner as the primary
clarifier 170 described above. The filters 240 may have varying
sizes and capacities to remove fine materials remaining in the
waste water 140. The filters 240 may use a filter aid 250 and the
like to improve filtration performance and/or a scale control agent
to limit scaling. The WWTS 105 described herein is for the purpose
of example only. Many different types of WWTS's and components and
configurations thereof may be used herein.
[0016] As described above, the WFGD system 130 may be positioned
upstream of the WWTS 105 within the waste water preconditioning
system 100. Within the WFGD system 130, the flue gas 120 may come
into direct contact with an aqueous alkaline slurry 260 so as to
remove contaminants therefrom. The aqueous alkaline slurry 260 may
be introduced into the WFGD system 130 through one or more nozzles
270 in an upper portion 280 of a scrubber tower 290. The aqueous
alkaline slurry 260 aids in removing contaminants such as sulfur
oxides and dissolved mercury from the flue gas 120. The removal of
such contaminants from the flue gas 120 produces a cleaned flue gas
300. The cleaned flue gas 300 flows out of the WFGD system 130 to a
fluidly connected stack (not shown) or other type of emissions
control apparatus (not shown). Although the WFGD system 130 is
described herein as using the scrubber tower 290 for purposes of
clarity, other types of WFGD systems also may be used herein.
[0017] The aqueous alkaline slurry 260 may be transported to the
nozzles 270 from a collecting tank 310 via one or more pumps 320
and the like. The amount of aqueous alkaline slurry 260 transported
to nozzles 270 may depend upon several factors such as, but not
limited to, the amount of flue gas 120 present in the scrubber
tower 290, the amount of contaminants in the flue gas 120, and/or
the overall design of the WFGD system 130. After the aqueous
alkaline slurry 260 directly contacts the flue gas 120 and removes
the contaminants therefrom, the aqueous alkaline slurry 260 may be
collected in the collecting tank 310 for recirculation to the
nozzles 270 by the pumps 320.
[0018] To reduce overall mercury concentrations, one or more
sulfite sensors 330 may be arranged in communication with the
aqueous alkaline slurry 260 in the collecting tank 310. The sulfite
sensors 330 may measure the sulfite concentration of the aqueous
alkaline slurry 260 in the collecting tank 310. The sulfite sensors
330 may measure sulfite concentrations either continuously or at
predetermined intervals. For example, predetermined intervals for
sulfite concentration measurement may be determined automatically
by a control device 340 in communication with the sulfite sensors
330 or manually by a user. The control device 340 may include, for
example, but not limited to a computer, a microprocessor, an
application specific integrated circuit, circuitry, or any other
device capable of transmitting and receiving electrical signals
from various sources, at least temporarily storing data indicated
by signals, and perform mathematical and/or logical operations on
the data indicated by such signals. The control device 340 may
include or be connected to a monitor, a keyboard, or other type of
user interface, and an associated memory device. Although the use
of the sulfite sensors 330 are described herein, the measurement of
the sulfite may be made by other means such as on-line or periodic
chemical analysis or other methods to provide the sulfite signal.
The use of a sensor that provides specific on-line sulfite readings
currently may be preferred. The use of the terms sulfite
"detector", "analyzer", and the like thus are intended to cover the
"sensor" and all of these different detection methods.
[0019] The control device 340 may compare the measured sulfite
concentration(s) to one or more predetermined sulfite concentration
values as a set point, which may be stored in the memory device. It
is contemplated that the one or more predetermined sulfite
concentration potential values may include a single value or a
range of values. The predetermined value(s) may be a user-input
parameter. For example, the predetermined sulfite concentration
values may range from about 300 mg/L to about 500 mg/L or from
about 25 mg/L to about 150 mg/L. Other sulfite concentration values
may be used herein. By "predetermined," it is simply meant that the
value is determined before the comparison is made with the actual
measured sulfite concentration(s) as measured by the sulfite
sensors 330.
[0020] Optionally, a mercury measurement device 350 also may be
used in the subject system to measure mercury concentrations. The
mercury measurement device 350 may be any device suitable to
measure mercury concentrations from the scrubber tower 290 or
elsewhere. Examples include but are not limited to continuous
emission monitors (CEMs), such as cold-vapor atomic absorption
spectrometry (CVAAS), cold-vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry
(CVAFS), in-situ ultraviolet differential optical absorption
spectroscopy (UVDOAS), and atomic emission spectrometry (AES).
Other types of sensors may be used herein.
[0021] Comparison of the measured sulfite concentration to the one
or more predetermined sulfite concentration values may cause the
control device 340 to provide a control signal to a valve and/or a
blower 360. The valve and/or the blower 360 may adjust an amount of
oxidation air 370 that is introduced from a fluidly connected
oxidation air source 380 into the aqueous alkaline slurry 260
collected in the collection tank 310. Adjusting the amount of
oxidation air 370 introduced to the collecting tank 310 may adjust
the sulfite concentration of the aqueous alkaline slurry 260
present therein. The sulfite concentrations may range from about 20
to 50 mg/L, about 5 to 75 mg/L, about 1 to 200 mg/L, about 1 to 400
mg/L, and the like. Other sulfite concentrations may be used
herein.
[0022] By comparing the measured sulfite concentration to the
predetermined sulfite concentration values, the sulfite
concentration may be adjusted as desired via the oxidation air 370.
As such, it is possible to limit the overall concentration of
mercury in the waste water 140 via the control of the sulfite
concentrations. It is contemplated that the control device 340 may
employ known control algorithms, e.g., proportional, integral,
and/or derivative control algorithms, to adjust the control signals
in response to the comparison of the measured sulfite concentration
and the predetermined sulfite concentration values. Feed forward
control schemes also may be used that incorporate other operating
parameters available digitally as input to the control device 340
such as inlet SO.sub.2 concentrations, a measure of the gas flow
rate or other boiler operating condition such as percent load,
and/or other operating conditions. Once treated, the WFGD system
130 produces a volume of the waste water 140 that is forwarded to
the WWTS 105 for further processing. An additional separator 390
and the like also may be used to reduce and/or classify by size the
suspended solids in the stream sent to the WWTS 105. Other
components and other configurations may be used herein.
[0023] Mercury present in the aqueous alkaline slurry 260 can be
present in high concentrations as dissolved mercury. For example,
about 50 to 250 micrograms per liter of mercury may be found in the
aqueous phase. When the WFGD system 130 operates with sulfite
control, the concentration of dissolved mercury may decrease to a
lower level of about ten micrograms per liter or less, about five
micrograms per liter or less, or preferably to about one micrograms
per liter or less, with a corresponding increase in mercury in the
solid phase, particularly prevalent in the fine solids and the
like. Mercury in the solid phase thus may be more easily removed
downstream in the separator 370 and/or the primary clarifier 170.
Solid additives to the WFGD system 130 such as gypsum, limestone,
or other solid materials may be used to allow the mercury in the
solid form to agglomerate or accumulate with these other materials.
Iron or magnesium additives to the WFGD system 130 also may be used
to aid in the mercury transition from dissolved to solid form.
[0024] The WFGD system 130 thus preconditions the flow of the waste
water 140 to precipitate a portion of the mercury into the solid
phase upstream of the WWTS 105. One of the key functions of the
WWTS 105 is to reduce the mercury concentrations in the waste water
140 to meet discharge requirements. (For example, certain
governmental regulations may require a discharge level of less than
about 0.356 micrograms per liter.) By preconditioning the waste
water 140, the overall size and capacity of the WWTS 105, the
components thereof, and the additives used therein all may be
reduced. Specifically, the chemical used to aid in solids removal
such as flocculants, coagulants, pH adjusters, precipitants, and
the like may benefit from lower demands required to meet the
mercury requirements. Preconditioning with sulfite control in the
WFGD system 130 thus provides a more steady and consistent
chemistry for the waste water 140 stream in the WWTS 105. Such
consistency may improve overall WWTS 105 operation with a resultant
reduction in manpower required for testing and system adjustments.
Moreover, the chemical volumes may be decreased so as to provide
reduced overall operating costs and reduced component size and/or
capacity.
[0025] It should be apparent that the foregoing relates only to
certain embodiments of the present application and the resultant
patent. Numerous changes and modifications may be made herein by
one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the general
spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following
claims and the equivalents thereof.
* * * * *